How to apply to the federal government

Grace Stoddart, Atlantic Regional Office of the Federal Public Service Commission, based in Halifax.

“The Federal Public Service is looking to the future and hiring the next generation of public servants,” says Grace Stoddart, Atlantic Regional Office of the Public Service Commission in Halifax.

“A few years ago, there was a drop in hiring in the public service due to budget constraints, but now a great many retirements are coming up.”

Tips for applying

Create an account and input your contact information, education, and your resumé. Your resumé will be retained on file so that you can upload it to each application.

Log into your account to apply.

Sign up for job alerts to receive emails to alert you to open positions that fit your profile.

Check federal government and various department social media accounts. They use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to promote job openings.

Visit www.Canada.ca/gcjobs to find a list of available jobs. Search Prince Edward Island to see the jobs available on the Island.

Before you apply, follow all instructions and read the job ad carefully to make sure you meet all the essential qualifications listed. Be clear and precise in your application. Provide specific examples to demonstrate how you meet the essential qualifications listed.

Language profile: About 55 percent of positions in the federal government require English only, about 40 percent are bilingual imperative, and less than five percent are French only. To get an idea of your level of language proficiency, sample tests are available online. Google Public Service Commission Second Language Evaluation test.

Employment Equity: If you are an Indigenous person, a person with a disability, a member of a visible minority group or a woman, you have the option of indicating that on your application. Some jobs may be targeted to one of those categories.

Make sure the closing date has not passed.

Submit the application before the deadline. Don’t wait until the last minute to apply, because the application process is fairly lengthy.

The initial screening is done by computer. If you answered no to any essential qualifications, you will be screened out.

During the hiring process, you can ask for accommodations which allow you to fully demonstrate the assessed competencies. The accommodations will have no impact on your chances of being hired for that position. For example, if you have a visual impairment, you could be given a test presented in a larger font.

To find out about the status of your application and the jobs you have applied to in the past, visit your job profile.

The next level of screening will be done by an HR person or the hiring manager. They check if you have the essential qualifications and verify your answers against your resumé.

The assessment could include an interview, testing, and reference checks. You could be interviewed by telephone or in person.

A job offer will be made to the successful candidate, or the competition may be used to set up a pool of candidates. Make sure your email service does not have a filter that could block emails from the public service.

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